This application relates to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Imaging through MRI techniques is well known and has been widely applied in imaging applications in medical, biological and other fields. A typical MRI technique produces an image of an object under examination by manipulating the magnetic spins in the object and processing measured responses from the magnetic spins. An MRI system may include hardware to generate different magnetic fields for imaging, including a static magnetic field along a z-direction to polarize a portion of the magnetic spins, magnetic field gradients (e.g., along mutually orthogonal x, y, or z directions), and RF magnetic fields to manipulate the spins.